The invention is directed to a process for the manufacture of polyacetylene in the form of a film, gel, or powder.
The synthesis of polyacetylene films is currently carried out by catalysts of the Ziegler type. The catalyst formed by combining a titanium compound with an aluminum organic compound is dissolved in an inert solvent. The polymerization of the gaseous acetylene takes place at the surface of the catalytic solution and there is obtained a polyacetylene film (Shirakawa--Japanese Pat. No. 73 32 581 of Oct. 6, 1973).
This process has a very low catalytic yield and the polyacetylene film must be washed many times to eliminate the catalyst residues.
It is known that Ziegler type catalysts deposited on a solid carrier, which are present in suspension in the polymerization medium, have a much higher catalytic yield. This process, which is called "supported catalysis" is extensively used for the polymerization of olefins. The "supported catalysis" has not been applied to the polymerization of acetylene. Since polyacetylene is infusible and insoluble in all solvents, the polyacetylene films are obtained directly by polymerization of gaseous acetylene on a flat surface formed by the interface of the gas with a non-stirred liquid. But without stirring, the solid particles impregnated with catalyst do not remain in the interface and fall to the bottom of the reactor.